The Abbey of Sant’Antimo, located 9km from Montalcino in Tuscany, is one of the most beautiful of all Romanesque churches in Italy. Local legend attributes its foundation to Charlemagne in the 8th century AD, a miracle that helped cure his army of a plague and a promise to build an abbey on the land where they were saved. Recorded history, however, has a different tale to tell and puts the foundation further back, to the Longobards and the Monastery of St. Savior. The site also is thought to have originally been the location of an ancient Roman villa. The existence of Sant'Antimo, itself, is recorded since at least the 9th century.
By the 12th century, this abbey had become rich and the most powerful monastic landowner and foundation in Tuscany. Located along the Via Francigena, the pilgrims' route to Rome, it benefitted from the gifts of pilgrims and the faithful. It even owned large portions of land stretching from Lucca, in the north of Tuscany, to Orbetello, in the south. These times of great property did not last and by the 19th century it was in dire need of care and repair. When it came into the possession of the State, there was a long period of physical restoration that, ultimately, saved the whole building. Begun in 1872 and finished in 1895, it allowed for the current appearance of the abbey.
The greatest pity is that all of this work and care does not readily translate in photographs or descriptions. It is a hard to capture the charm of this incomplete but lovely building. Combining French and Lombard Romanesque architectural styles, the complex is made up of the large church, a Carolingian chapel and a bell tower, as well as service buildings and other surrounding structures. Located in a picture-perfect setting, just below the medieval hamlet of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, with lush green surroundings and rolling hills, the pale stone walls and terracotta tiles make for a pretty sight. Rich in sculptural details and wrought in precious materials like alabaster and travertine, it is refined and elegant, in spite of being complete and, due to its remote location, is peaceful to the extreme. An exceptional beauty, it is one of the must-see religious buildings in Tuscany. Just find a vacation rental in Montalcino and take some time out to stop by this beauty.
The greatest pity is that all of this work and care does not readily translate in photographs or descriptions. It is a hard to capture the charm of this incomplete but lovely building. Combining French and Lombard Romanesque architectural styles, the complex is made up of the large church, a Carolingian chapel and a bell tower, as well as service buildings and other surrounding structures. Located in a picture-perfect setting, just below the medieval hamlet of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, with lush green surroundings and rolling hills, the pale stone walls and terracotta tiles make for a pretty sight. Rich in sculptural details and wrought in precious materials like alabaster and travertine, it is refined and elegant, in spite of being complete and, due to its remote location, is peaceful to the extreme. An exceptional beauty, it is one of the must-see religious buildings in Tuscany. Just find a vacation rental in Montalcino and take some time out to stop by this beauty.
Photo credit: Adrian Michael / CC BY-SA 3.0
